Locking mechanism for doors



flg- 1932- K. A. BENZEE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DOORS Filed May 13. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I gmnnto'o lazed I am;

Aug. 16, 1932.

K. A. BENZEE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DOORS Filed May 15, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I ammo; Ka/d alga 71 a dl tozmq g- 16, 1932- K. A. BENZEE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DOORS Filed May 15,1931 4 she ts-sheet 3 i QM I @102 Aug. 16, 1932. Y BENZEE 1,871,442

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DOORS 1 5O '16 v 74 l I r v lTc iz L Zlwflentoa Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES Plvrarrr OFFICE.

KARL A. IBENZEE, OF [DOLE DO, OHIO, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF OF TOLEDO, OHIO r BURRELL A. man,

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DOORS Application filed May 13,

My invention has for its object to provide an efiicient locking mechanism for doors whereby parts of the latch may be disconnected from the handle of the door to render the latch inoperative and to effectively lock the door. The invention also provides various methods by which the locking mechanism may be operated to disconnect and re-engage mechanism in combinationwith an exterior lock for manipulating the locking means to cause operation of the locking mechanism. Other features and advantages may be found from the following description and upon examination of the drawings.

The invention may be'contained in locking.

mechanisms for doors which vary .in'their details of construction, and, to illustrate a practical application of the invention, I have selected a locking mechanism for doors, andone of its modifications, as examples of such constructions and shall describe them hereinafter. The selected constructions are shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a car door handle and illustrates an exterior portion of the locking mechanism contained in my in- ;vention. Fig. 2 is a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 22 as indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 33 as indicated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is.-a detail view of the parts of the door latch and their relation to the locking mechanism. Fig. 5 is a side View of the rear of the latch'frame, the relative location of the parts being indicated therein. Fig. 6 is a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 6-6 as indicated in Fig. 2 and illustrates 1931. Serial N0. 537,017.

the operating parts of the latch and a portion of the locking mechanism. Fig. 7 is a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 7 7 .as illustrated in Fig. 2, and illustrates a part of the locking mechanism. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the parts moved as when the parts are locked to prevent operation of the latch. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Figs. 7 and 8 and shows the parts when moved to release portions of the latch. Fig. 10 is an end view of a modified form of construction. Fig. 11 is an end view of the modified form, parts thereof being shown in section and illustrates the portions of the locking mechanism when moved to the locked position. Fig. 12 is a side view of. the modified construction shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of the modified form of the device illustrated in Figs. 10

and 11. v

The invention is, particularly adaptedfor use in connection with spring operated latch bolts, such as those used in vehicle doors. In

many common constructions latch mechar nisms are dependent upon key looks or have controlling members which are operated on the interior of the door. Usually, the handle of the latch is secured in position by ,a suitable piece of metal which prevents turning of the handle tooperate the latch when the doors are in alocked condition. The

handle, therefore, may be twisted from portions of the latch, located within the door, to either move or break the metal piece whlch prevents the turning of the handle and the latch-to open the door. The door may thus be forced open by prying or by further destroying the latch. Also, where key operated locks are provided on but one door, as in sedan or coupe body types, the remaining doors must be secured before leaving the car 'or by opening the doors and reclosing them after operating the control member.

By the use of my invention, the doors are provided with a slidable locking member which may be operated from either side of the door to lock the door. The locking member is located relative to the latch so that, upon manipulation of the locking member, the handle of the dodr is disconnected from the latch parts so that the handle of the door may be freely rotated on its journaled portion in the door. The handle may be connected to the latch bolt by releasement of the slidable member, through interconnected means located within the door, to unlock the door. Another advantageous feature of the invention isthat the exterior portion of both the handle of the door and the locking mechanism are formed of separate units and are connected to their-relatedparts within the door so thatthe handle may be sprung from the door without causing injury to the inner parts of the latch or the lock mechanism. This feature also provides for ease of installation and adjustment of the parts of the lockin mechanism.

Wh le the invention is adapted for locking latch mechanisms upon manipulation of the look from either side of the door, releasement of their parts and unlocking of the door is effected from only the interior of the car.

in the modified form, the usual key lock is provided for opening one door from the outside, portions of the barrel lock being connected to the locking'mechanism and the handle to cause re-engagement of the handle with the latch bolt to unlock the door.

In the form .of'construction shown in the drawings, the handle 1 is provided with the usual sleeve 2 which is journaled in a suitable latch frame 3, located in the door 4.

Y The sleeve 2 is, preferably, formed of two parts 5 and 6, the part 5 extending through the. door.4 and the part 6 being located in the frame 3. The part 5 of the sleeve'2 is connected to the handle 1 and is located in an outer sleeve 7 and an escutcheon' plate 8. The part 5 may be resiliently held in this position by the spring 9 in a manner well known in the art. The inner end of the sleeve 5 is provided with a rectangular opening '12 for the receipt of a square-shaped end portion 13 of the sleeve portion 6 of thesleeve 2. The

. portion 6 of the sleeve 2 is connected to a suitable cam part 17 for operating the latch so thatthe handle 1 may be manipulated to operate the latch mechani'sm'of the door.

The portion 6, of the sleeve 2, is connected to the cam part 17 of the latch bolt 18 by a plunger member-19. The plunger 19 has a portion 20 which is rectangular in cross section and offset from the central axis of the plunger 19.

- The portion 20 of the plunger is slidably sup- 26, formed in the central portion of the sleeve portion 6, andinto a recess 29 formed in the sleeve portion 6. The end of the part 25 may be riveted over a washer 27. A spring .28 may be located about the part 25 and between the washer 27 and the wall 26 so as'to draw the end portion 21 of the portion 20 of the plunger into the socket 22 when the plunger 19 is released from a locked position. Thus, the handle 1 may be rotated to operate the latch bolt and open the door.

In order to lock the door and to secure the latch bolt against operation, the plunger 19 is moved from its interengaged relation with thecam part 17 and the'handle 1 so that the handle 1 may be freely-rotated without operation of the latch. The plunger 19 is moved from the socket 22 by a slidable pin member 30. The pin 30 is located in the sleeve portion 5 of the sleeve 2 and has a button 31 extending through the outer surface of the handle for manual movement of the pin 30 against the member 19. The button 31-is maintained in a position extending suitably above the surface of the handle by a suitable 1 spring 32. The spring 32 is located between the button 31 of the pin and a fiange33 which may be formed in the wall of the portion 5 of the sleeve 2; The pin 30 is also provided with an enlarged portion 34 which limits the outward movement of the pin 30. As the button 31 is depressed, the enlarged portion 34 of the pin 30 is moved against the washer 27, forcing the end 21 of the portion 20 of the plunger out of the socket 22 and into the rectangular opening 16 of the cam part 17. The portion 20 of the plunger is provided with a groove 36. The groove 36 is adapted to receive a suitable plate 37 when the plunger has been moved in the opening 16 to disengage the'handle 1 from the plunger 19. The plate 37 is pivotally supported on a portion of the frame 3 by a screw 38 and yieldingly held against the plunger 19 by a suitable spring 39. The spring 39 acts to send the plate 37 into engagement with the slot 36 as the slot, is brought into alignment w th the plate. Thus the handle 1, being disconnected from the latch may be rotated in either direction with the sleeve 2 which is likewise free to rotate on its journal. Reengagement of the sleeve 2 with the cam part 17 of the latch'cannot be effected from the exterior of the door as the plunger 19 has been disconnected from the handle 1 andheld'from engagement by the plate 37 in the groove 36 to? I maintain the door. in a locked position.

Theplunger 19 may also be operated by a suitable button 45 on the inner side of the door to disconnect the handle from the latch 7 mechanism and thereby effect a locked condltion of the door. The button 45 extends through the interior upholstering 46 of thedoor and is connected to the plunger 19 by a shank 47. The button 45 may be drawn inward to move the member '19 from the socket 22 to disconnect the plunger 19 from the handle 1 to eifect a locked condition of the door.

In order to resiliently hold the handle 1 against rotation when the handle is disconnected from the latch and the door is in a f locked position, the outer surface of the sleeve portion 6 of the sleeve 2 may be provided with an annular groove 40 in which the ends of a suitable spring 41 may be located to frictionally engage the sleeve, thereby yieldingly holding the handle against movement or vibration.

When it is desirable to unlock the door, the button 45 is manipulated to move the lock plate 37 from its engagement with the groove 36 of the portion of the plunger. The shank 47 of the button 45 is preferably square in cross section and is connected to the end of the portion 20 of the plunger by a suitable ball and socket joint to allow rotation of the button 45. The shank'47 is supported in the frame 3 by a U-shaped plate 51 having a suitable bearing portion 52. -The plate 51 has a suitable leg portion 53 which may be located at one side of the plate 37. The button member 45 may be rotated to move the leg portion 53-against the plate-37 to move the plate out of the groove 36. The spring 28, being released, moves the plunger 19 into engaging relation with the socket 22 to unlock the door.

The plate 37 may: also be moved" from its engaging position with the groove 36 by a suitable door lever 55 which may be operated from Within the door. The lever 55 is connected to the latch mechanism 18 through a suitable link 56. The link 56 is pivotally secured to alatch bolt 57 by a suitable rivet 58. The link 59 may also be connected to the link 56 and the latch bolt 57 by the rivet 58. The link 59 is connected to the plate 37 by a suitable pin and slot connection 60; The link 56 may be operated by the door lever 55 to withdraw the latch bolt 57 from its locked position and, as the latch bolt 57 is moved toward an unlocked position,

the pin and slot 60 engage to move the plate 37 from the groove 36." Thus the door may be unlocked by either the button 45 or the lever 55 and the handle 1 may be connected to the latch bolt for manipulation of the latch bolt 57.

In order to bring about registrtion of the plunger member 19 with the socket 22 in the handle, preparatory to operating the latch bolt to unlock the door 21, the mouth of the socket 22 may be rimmed to form a'circular recessed portion 42, the axis of which is concentric with the axis of the sleeve 2 and eccentric to the axis of the socket. Thus, when the plate 37 is moved from engagement'with the groove 36, the plunger member 19 is moved into the recessed portion 42 and'rests.

on the bottom surface 43 of the recess 42, in which position the plunger is yieldingly held by the spring 28. The handle 1 may be rotated to move the socket 22 in alignment with the plunger 19 and the spring 28 will cause the plunger to then enter the socket 22. Thus, the door may be unlocked by the button 45 or the door lever 55 when the handle and socket 22 are not in alignment with the plunger 19 and, after the locking mechanism has been actuated, the handle may be rotated until the plunger automatically engages the ldiandle and socket to permit opening of the oor.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings, a modified form of thelocking mechanism is illustrated. As it is often preferable to provide one door with a key lock for operating the lock mechanism and to provide for releasing the plunger, from the exterior or the door a lock 70 of the commonlv used form is located in the panel of the door 4. The inner end of the barrel of the lock 70 has a square shank portion 71 for engaging a cam member 72. The cam member 72 is supported in the frame 3 by a suitable bearing portion 73 and a screw 74. The cam member 72 may be provided with an extending portion 78 for engaging the plate 37. As thekey 80 is rooperation of the button 45, the'door lever 55 or by the barrel lock 70, connecting the handle 1 to the latch bolt 18 for subsequent openings of the door. The lock mechanism pro vided by my invention may be manufactured and installed at an exceedingly low cost.

I claim:

1. In a locking mechanism for door latch bolts having a frame, a door handle, a sleeve connected to the door handle and supported in the frame, a plunger connected to the latch bolt, a socket formed in the sleeve for re- .ceiving the plunger, and means for moving the said plunger from the socket to disconnect the sleeve from the latch bolt. 2. In a locking mechanism for door latch bolts having a frame, a latch handle, a sleeveconnected to the handle and supported in the frame, a movable plunger for interconnecting the sleeve with the latch bolt, a button member connected to the plunger for moving the plunger to disconnect the sleeve from the latch bolt, and means for locking the plunger against further movement.

3. In a locking mechanism for door latch and means for rotating the barrel lock for bolts, a door handle, a sleeve being formed of with the latch bolt, a pin member located in the first named part of the sleeve for moving the plunger from the socket to disconnect the second named part of the sleeve from the latch bolt, and means for preventing the re- .turn of the plunger into the socket.

4. In a lock mechanism for door latch bolts, a door handle, the sleeve formed of a pair of interconnected sleeve parts, one of the pair of sleeve parts'connected to the door handle, the inner end of the other of the pair of sleeve parts having an angular shaped socket, a

- plunger extending into the socketfor interconnecting the latch bolt with the first named connecting the lever with the latch bolt, and

sleeve part, a pin member located in the second named sleeve part for moving the plunger from the socket, the plunger having a groove,

- a plate for engaging the groove to lock the plunger against further movement, and means for moving the said plate for releasing the plunger to connect the door handle with the latch bolt. Y

5. In a locking mechanism for door latch bolts having a frame, a door handle, a sleeve connected to the handle and supported in the frame, a latch mechanism for operating the latch bolt, a movable plilnger for intercona necting the sleeve with the latch bolt, a button member connected to the plunger for moving theplung'er to disconnect the sleeve from the latch bolt, means for locking the plunger against further movement, and a U-shaped member connected to the button member for releasing the plunger for connecting the door handle with the latch bolt.

6. In a locking mechanism for door latch bolts, a door handle, a sleeve connected to the door handle, a plunger for interconnecting the sleeve with the latch bolt, a pin supported in the sleeve for moving the plunger to disconnect the sleeve from the latch bolt, a plate for locking the plunger against further movement, a latch actuating lever, a link for means forconnecting the link with the plate to release the plunger for connecting the latch I bolt to the door handle.

7. In a locking mechanism for door latch bolts, a door handle, a sleeve member conmoving the cam against the plate for causing releasement of the spring actuated member.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

- KARL A. BENZEE.

nected to the door handle, a spring actuated memberffor interconnecting the sleeve membet with thelatch bolt, means for moving the spring actuated member for disconnecting the sleeve member from the latch bolt, a plate adapted to engage the said spring actuated member and hold it against further movement, a barrel lock having a nose-like cam, 

